Theatre acting
Theatre acting: Let’s keep it real
Have you ever sat in a theatre, watching a performance, and thought: What are they doing? Why are they moving like that? Why are they shouting for no reason? And then it clicks—oh, it’s because the director thought it looked good. Because someone decided, 'This is what theatre is supposed to be.'
But where’s the truth in that? Where’s the real human connection?
I remember watching a Tennessee Williams play, where the actors screamed for almost the entire performance. I knew the play. I knew the emotional depth it required. But instead of feeling the weight of the drama, I just wanted to yell back: Please, just stop! Not because the story was overwhelming, but because the actors weren’t living in the moment. They were suffering—not as their characters, but as themselves, forced into a performance that lacked nuance, breath, and reality.
Theatre should be lived, not staged
Theatre is magic when it feels real. When an actor is truly present—when they live their character instead of performing it—something incredible happens. The audience doesn’t need exaggerated gestures or relentless intensity. They feel everything because it’s real.
As an actress, director, and acting coach I don’t believe in forcing actors into a rigid vision that’s all about aesthetics. I don’t believe in movement for the sake of movement, or in volume for the sake of volume. I believe in truth. In letting a performance unfold naturally, moment by moment.
Stop chasing the perfect picture
Too often, actors are told, 'Walk there. Look this way. Say the line like this'... But acting isn’t about looking right—it’s about being real. Movement should come from impulse. Emotions should arise naturally, not be forced into every scene just to create intensity.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a performance, ask yourself: Am I truly in the moment? Am I reacting honestly, or just delivering my next line? If you feel trapped in a performance that doesn’t breathe, something is wrong.
Theatre can be powerful
Audiences don’t come to the theatre to see actors 'act.' They come to witness life unfold before them. They come to believe. And when we, as actors, commit to truth over theatrics, they will go with us—anywhere. So let’s stop 'acting' and start being. Let’s make theatre something real.